The modern competitive business setting needs redesigning of the functionality for warehouses in order to deliver excellent results. It is also important to sustain the presence of the brand in the industry. In this context, warehouse management solution plays an imperative role in ensuring perfect performance. Senitron has deployed its Hands-Free RFID inventory/asset tracking solution to warehouse environments, providing live visibility and location data specific to the aisle, shelf, and shelf level locations.
Senitron has deployed its Hands-Free RFID inventory management system/asset tracking solutions for warehouse environments, providing live visibility and location data specific to the aisle, shelf, and shelf level locations. Warehouses face a specific challenge when managing assets and products. In short, keeping track of these items can be difficult in these large spaces where perhaps hundreds of people are employed.
In an effort to deal with this specific problem, most warehouses and distribution centers have developed organizational solutions, software, and various schemes to somehow keep a handle on where items are located and where they have been placed. But an RFID inventory management system is a cutting-edge technology that makes jobs easier. RFID inventory management system ensures better track of the movement as well as storage of the products in the warehouse. At the same time, it also increases the efficiency of the overall mechanism by streamlining the receipt and shipment of the goods.
The integration of the RFID warehouse inventory management system has successfully enhanced the overall operational efficiency as well as productivity in the warehouses and distribution centers for different businesses. The use of RFID technology in a warehouse management system also complements data capture technology (such as barcodes) that are already being used in different distribution hubs and warehouses.
The Challenge
No amount of organizational systems and software programs can fix the “human element,” however. That human element can be responsible for moving items from one shelf to another or for moving items to another part of the facility. Managing and locating valuable assets in the warehouse and the distribution centers is one of the biggest challenges that businesses face today. The time invested in looking for crucial equipment causes expensive delays, wasted labor, missed deadlines, and much more.
Employees might inadvertently – or intentionally – move items to the wrong locations. Or they might input the wrong information into their location tracking software. Even if the information is entered correctly, someone else might end up moving items to another location, leading to common human errors.
When items are lost (however it happens), the warehouse inventory management team has to send crews to locate items in huge warehouses, some of which contain multiple levels. Each area – full of shelves high and low – has to be thoroughly checked. But now, with RFID solutions for warehouses tracking and checking inventories will be easy. The application of RFID for warehouse inventory has made things very easy and helped save a significant amount of time, which now can be used for the smooth functioning of the overall operation. Along with increasing inventory accuracy, RFID solutions have helped reduce labor costs, reduce inventory stock levels, and, most importantly, improve customer satisfaction. An RFID inventory management system uses electromagnetic fields for transmitting data from RFID tags to a reader. RFID tags are also effective in offering real-time, accurate data tracking for mobile and fixed inventories.
The Senitron Hands-Free RFID Solution
Senitron’s Hands-Free RFID inventory management system for the warehouse simplifies inventory and asset management and creates a real-time record of where items are. By doing this, companies can have their staff doing the jobs they are trained to do, which isn’t necessarily heading into a warehouse on a scavenger hunt for lost items.
Here’s how the Senitron Hands-Free RFID Solutions for warehouse works in a warehouse environment:
- The Senitron team retrofits and installs hands-free Senitron RFID sensors in each shelf throughout the warehouse.
- The sensors send real-time location information and the quantities of each asset to the Senitron location tracking/inventory software.
- Thanks to the RFID inventory management system, personnel never again have to look for an item; all the user has to do is enter a part number or description, and the Senitron system instantly displays the location of the item or items
Our RFID warehouse management system can keep track of pallets and boxes and the contents inside the boxes. Even if items are accidentally or purposefully separated from their group, the Senitron Solution locates and displays all items’ locations. Historically, pallets or cases used traditional barcodes, and warehouse executives would scan each unit one by one. But now, with the help of RFID for warehouse inventory, all the items are read from the get-go with the help of the reader placed at the dock door when they are unloaded.
The Senitron Solution is superior in its capabilities because it increases productivity, eliminates human error, and saves labor working hours; workers no longer have to input location data. It prevents the need to search for lost items or do inventory.
Benefits of Using RFID Technology in Warehouse Management
- No need for line of sight requirement in order to track or scan.
- Safeguard overstocking or under-stocking and enhances the level of security.
- Enhanced visibility throughout the supply chain because of maximal information processing and lead capture.
- Minimum labour costs and it is because RFID tags generate report information immediately when they are scanned.
- Deliver more information on capabilities like tracking and tracing retail partners, update on the supply chain partners, and a lot more.
- It scans more and faster as compared to the handheld barcode scanners.
- Deliver maximum longevity and minimum damage through processes because of sturdy make or build quality.
Contact us today so we can get to work on RFID inventory management solution for you!
Suggested Implementation of RFID Technology
& Work-Flow for Manufacturing and Distribution
There are many versions of architecting an RFID solution for organizations and the following described methods are one many possible methods.
Step 1 – RFID Labeling Products / Assets / Boxes / Cases / Pallets Etc.
The first step to utilizing RFID technology and all of its inherited benefits and automation is to start applying RFID labels to your products, assets, boxes, cases, pallets, etc. Note, organizations are not required to RFID label all the mentioned asset types; for example, an organization is not required to RFID label individual items; instead, they may choose to RFID label cases only. ETC.
In this document, we will describe a scenario of a manufacturer that produces a product that may include liquids, metals, carbon fiber, etc., (specifically materials that hinder RFID signal penetration). Thus to architect a solution that will be compatible with RFID warehouse management technology, Senitron recommends RFID labeling boxes (aka cases) of products and their pallets.
Side Note: Manufactures may choose to RFID label individual items as well in order to enable RFID item-level visibility, which will benefit RFID-enabled retailers.
A. Labeling Boxes / Cases
Personnel will assemble cases of products. Example Widget A will be 10 items per case. Once they have accumulated the cases of products (for example, 100 cases), they can print case RFID labels (example, 100 RFID labels)
Notes:
1. With the technology of RFID solutions for warehouse, each box, asset, etc., always have a unique self-generated, unique serial number.
2. RFID labels can be printed out of Senitron’s Print Screen, ERP, WHM, etc
3. At this stage the RFID labels are not recorded yet.
B. Labeling Pallets
Personnel will bring the RFID-tagged boxes/cases and load them on pallets and print pallet labels. This process links each box to a specific pallet number (aka HU#).
RFID warehouse management system – senitron.netRFID solutions for warehouse – senitron.net Human data input errors can be eliminated by using an RFID inventory management system. As personnel are making pallets, a stationary RFID reader will read each box as it is put on the pallet. A tablet next to each pallet will show the quantity of
cases. Once done, personnel clicks on a button to print out the RFID HU Label. The RFID for the warehouse inventory system records the HU #, QTY boxes, and all other pertinent data. Each box is then linked to an HU#.
RFID warehouse management – senitron.net Example of an RFID pelleting area: Each pallet is separated by PVC separators to stop RFID reads from other pallets.
Step 2 – Start Benefiting from RFID Technology
A. The RFID System Tracks Pallets and their contents
The RFID warehouse inventory management system auto logs as assets move from one zone to another. This helps keep detailed track of the inventory in the warehouse or the distribution center and ensures that everything moves smoothly regardless of inventory quantity.
For example, as a pallet moves from RFID reader 1 to RFID reader 2, the system logs the movement as “Movement 11/9/2018 5:30 pm moved from Building A to Building B” It logs the movement of the HU#, along with all of the boxes contained on the pallet. And although RFID won’t penetrate to read all the boxes on a pallet, the system knows all the boxes which belong to that pallet HU#; thus, all the boxes are logged as being moved as well.
Notes:
1. If a box belonging to that pallet is separated from its pallet and is picked up by another RFID reader, the system logs that box's location and time stamp separately.
2. If a pallet is broken down to sell off one box/case, during the shipment process, that box will be scanned, and the system auto deducts the QTY from that HU number since it knows Box # 2 of 10 serial # 4564645645 was scanned into a shipment order.
At its core, RFID technology, software and hardware will record the RFID assets' last reported location and position. This flow of RFID information flows into the Senitron RFID tracking software, SAP, Warehouse Management system, ERP system, etc.
Stage 3 – RFID Transfer Slips / Shipments / Order Fulfillment
RFID warehouse management system will automate, validate, eliminate human error, and speed up creating transfer slips, shipment documents, and fulfill orders. Therefore, the system helps increase the company's overall productivity compared to the time commitment involved with traditional tracking solutions.
As an example, organizations can quickly create transfer slips in the Manufacturing Facility, ship them to the Warehouse / Distribution center, and RFID will automatically log when the transfer slip items left Manufacturing Facility and when they reached the Warehouse / Distribution Center.
Order Fulfillment
As orders are loaded onto a pallet to be shipped out, the order can be validated as correct. If wrong items are loaded onto the pallet and/or items are missing, the Tablet will not display the “Order Ready!” message; and instead, it will display “Order Not Ready!”
RFID solutions for warehouse – senitron.net Human data input errors can be eliminated by using RFID Technology. As personnel are making pallets, a stationary RFID reader for inventory management will read each box as it is put on the pallet. A tablet next to each pallet will show the quantity of cases. Once done, personnel clicks on a button to print out the RFID HU Label. The RFID solutions for the warehouse record the HU #, QTY boxes, and all other pertinent data. Each box is then linked to an HU#.
Alternative Method of Reading & Recording The Contents of a Pallet
and Creating Pallet Label Using an RFID Hand-Held Scanner
As personnel are loading up a pallet with boxes and assets, an RFID Hand-Scanner can be used to scan each box, label, and or each asset inside the box.
Once everything on the pallet has been recorded, and finalized, the “PRINT & SAVE Pallet Label” button can be pressed to print out the pallet label. With this action and the Pallet label, all of the contents of the pallet are now married to the pallet label.
Finally, when the pallet is shipped out and is marked ready by an RFID reader, the pallet, and all of the assets and boxes associated with it, are also marked for shipping in the Senitron system.
